Buckle.



J. PRAETZ, DEGD. J. J. & J. A. PRAETZ, EXEOUTORS.

BUCKLE.

APPLIOATION FILED DEC. 13, 1909.

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Patented Oct. 7, 1913.

COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH C0,, WA

'i' v" t Until ED @TTh TENT JOHN PRAETZ, or BROOKLYN, NEW roux; JosErn J. PRAETZ, or NEW YORK, N. "1., AND JOHN A. PRAETZ, OE EEcoELYN, NEW "roan, EXECUTORS OF SAID JOHN PRAETZ, DECEASED, ASSIGNORS T0 JOHN rEaErz, Inc, A CORPORATION or NEW YORK.

BUCKLE.

1 ()"Z5,223 Specification of Letters Patent. Patented 0 7 1913 Application filed December 13, 1909.

1b all whom it may concern:

Be it known that T, JOHN PRAETZ, a citizen of the United States, residing at the city of New York, in the borough of Brooklyn and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful improvements in Buckles, of which the following is a full, clear, and eXact description.

i his invention relates to buckles, and has for its object the provision of means for facilitating the insertion or withdrawal of the end of a buckled strap into or from the buckle retaining loop provided therefor; the provision of retaining loops of course being common in the art;

In strap buckles as heretofore made, the construction has been such as to render the insertion of the usual pointed strap end into its retaining means very difficult when the strap has been placed about and pulled taut around the article with which it is in engagement. This difiiculty has arisen by reason of the comparatively straight formation of the buckle frame, and the lack of some provision for properly spacing the rear bar of said frame from the looped or riveted end Of the strap. I have provided a simple and inexpensive means for obviating this difficulty, which is set out in the embodiment of my invention disclosed in the following specification and appended claim.

My buckle construction presents the following advantages, to wit: By reason of the provision of a stop bar back of the lever, a thinner strap may be used since even though made of thin leather or web, it will not be cut through by the constant wearing and pressure of the lever thereagainst. Any desired thickness of strap may therefore be used. The strap slots in both the frame and lever may be made of sutlicient width to permit the full width of the strap to be inserted therethrough; and the buckle is substan tially no wider than the strap. The necessity for pointing the strap end is obviated; and it may be here pointed out that this feature is of great importance with web straps. The strap being straight and of even width throughout saves labor and expense and avoids weakening the material. The strap is more readily applied to and disengaged from the article held thereby. The

Serial No. 532,786.

buckle parts being stamped out of sheet steel or the like, permits of interchangeability of said parts, all buckles being indentical in size throughout, and the use of sheet metal avoids the burs and flaws common in cast buckles.

Referring now to the drawings in which like characters of reference designate like parts, Figure 1 is a plan view of my buckle frame, the interior clutch member or lever being omitted. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section of said frame on the line Tit-II of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a top view of the clutch member. Fig. 4 is a section thereof taken on the line TVIV of Fig. 2;. Fig. 5 is a plan view of the assembled buckle. Fig. 6 is an end elevation of the same. Fig. 7 is an end elevation of the buckle with the strap attached. Fig. 8 is a top view of the same.

I have designated the buckle frame 1. This frame is preferably formed of stamped sheet metal, although it may be cast. Said frame comprises longitudinal or side bars 2, a forward end bar 3, rear end bar 4, a pivot cross bar 5, and a stop cross bar 6. The rear ends of side bars 2 are offset from the flat body portion so that the rear bar 4c is spaced substantially parallel to but above the body of the frame. Clutch member 7 is preferably also formed Of stamped sheet metal and is constructed by bending a blank back upon itself in such manner as to form a journal 8 therebetween by reason of rounded and oppositely disposed portions 9 provided in the respective halves of said member. The engaging point of the clutch member is formed by the sharply bent portion 10 in which teeth may be formed by notches 11, which are out through the said edge; the readiest means for forming said notches being by perforating the blank before folding, so that the fold will come in line with said perforations. Rearwardly projecting tongues extend back from the journ aling portion, said tongues being preferably reduced in width at 12 adjacent the pivoting portion and being formed of a substantially equal width to that of the frame at the rear ends 13 thereof. Slots 14 for the reception of the strap are provided in said enlarged rear portions. The body of the lever or clutch member has, as shown in Fig. 4, substantially the form of a somewhat flat reverse curve.

When assembling the buckle the clutch member is introduced into the frame by spreading apart the respective halves thereof and slipping them over pivot bar 5; the reduced portion of said tongues permitting such operation. A strap end 15 is passed through the slots 14: and riveted or secured as at 16 in the usual manner. If new the said strap, which may be designated 17, is passed around the article to be encircled and the extremity 18 thereof is passed through the buckle between the clutch memher and the bar 3, it may be secured in position by the engagement of the tooth edge of the clutch member therewith, in the usual manner. The loose strap end is then passed back under the rear bar or becket 4, and it will be noted that by reason of the offset in said bar, and also owing to the engagement of the rear portion of the upper tongue with the stop 6 and rear ends of side bars 2, ample space is provided for the free passage of said strap end under bar t and above the somewhat elevated looped portion of the strap. When it is desired to unfasten the strap, said strap end may be freely withdrawn and pulled into the position shown by dotted lines 19. By engaging the finger with the projecting bar 4, a ready means for unloosening the strap is provided; bar 3 acting as a fulcrum whereby pivot bar 5 is elevated above the general plane of the strap, and since the latter tends to hold the tongues down close to the article or package, it will be seen that the strap is thereby I claim is:

A buckle comprising a rectangular frame having two spacedapart cross-bars, the rear end of said frame being offset from the main portion thereof to form a becket, a lever of substantially reverse curve configuration mounted on the cross-bar adjacent the front end of said frame and rotatable there about, said lever comprising a sheet metal body portion sharply bent back upon itself, the two members of said lever having rounded and oppositely disposed portions therein constituting bearings for said crossbar, the sharply bent portion of said lever being adapted to closely approach the front end of said frame and cooperate therewith to form the strap clamping part of the buckle, the other ends of said lever being adapted for the permanent attachment of a strap end, of the same width as the body of the strap, the rotation of said lever being limited by the cross-bar adjacent the rear end of said frame, the front end of the lever being at all times spaced from the front end of the frame, and the rear end of the lever being at all times spaced from the becket, substantially as described.

In witness whereof, I subscribe my signature, in the presence of two witnesses.

JOHN PRAETZ.

Witnesses:

WALDO M. CHAPIN, WILLIAM C. LARY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

